Tomohiro Nioka is set to manager the BC League’s Toyama Thunderbirds next season. Toyama announced earlier today that they reached an agreement with the forty-two-year-old. They released the following statement from Nioka:

I wanted to work with the players that were striving to become better after discovering how the BC League was improving every year. I will be happy if I can help players grow, even a little, with the experience I gained as a player and coach. I am also looking forward to becoming a part of the Toyama community.

As manager, I hope to both help myself and the players grow throughout the course of a season.